Since drafting the consensus best player in the world Sidney Crosby in 2005, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made the postseason in every season except Crosby’s first in the NHL. The Penguins are the perfect case study for how the Draft can change a franchise’s direction overnight. In the three seasons prior to Crosby’s arrival, the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs even once.

Since 2005, Pittsburgh Penguins tickets—and the franchise itself—have skyrocketed in value, a perfect reflection of Crosby’s importance to the team.

Crosby led an injury-depleted team to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, notching nine points in 13 games played. That underwhelming postseason performance came on the heels of a Hart Trophy-caliber regular season in which Crosby recorded 104 points; it’s difficult to blame him for not carrying his team to the Stanley Cup Final.

Penguins tickets will no doubt be in high demand again this year, but the team on the ice will be very different from the one that fans saw last season. Gone are players like Deryk Engelland (CGY), Tanner Glass (NYR), Jussi Jokinen (FLA), and Matt Niskanen (WSH). Brought in to replace them were Steve Downie, Christian Ehrhoff, Marcel Goc, and Patric Hornqvist.

Chemistry will be a term thrown around early and often with this year’s Penguins team, to the point where fans that buy Pittsburgh Penguins tickets might get sick of the word. But, with so many new players coming into the fold in Pittsburgh, the new line combinations will have to gel and gel quickly.

Crosby will be fine, being that he’ll have regular linemates Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis back for a full season (Dupuis missed the final five months of last season with an injury). Evgeni Malkin will center the second line is always a threat to score every time he touches the puck; who his linemates will be is still a question for training camp, however.

Something that won’t be a question for training camp is whether Pittsburgh Penguins tickets will go unsold once the season starts. (Hint: they won’t.) With Crosby in the fold, the players around him are merely window dressing from the casual fan’s perspective.

Pittsburgh Penguins ticket history

There isn’t much that can be said about the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins that hasn’t already been disseminated by the national media over the past five-to-seven years. Most of the media attention has focused on wunderkind Sidney Crosby, and with good reason. But first, a bit about the team.

The Pens have qualified for the postseason every year since the 2006-07 season, appearing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 and 2009, winning the Cup in their second trip. And the trend doesn’t look to be reversing itself any time soon.

Pittsburgh Penguins tickets have been in high demand seemingly since that run of consecutive playoff appearances began, which—not coincidentally—started the year after the consensus best-player-on-this-or-any-other-planet (read: Crosby) made his NHL debut. Crosby’s exploits in the league have been well documented, owing to his ability to put a hockey puck into a hockey goal.

Admittedly, the Penguins have one of the NHL’s most expensive rosters, ranked No. 4 for the 2013-14 season at $70,810,000, more than $1 million above the salary cap. Despite the collection of talent amassed in the western region of the Keystone State, Crosby’s skill is undeniable, and is the main draw for those seeking to purchase Penguins tickets.

The home venue for the Pens, CONSOL Energy Center seats 18,387 and has more than adequately replaced the outdated Mellon Arena, which was better known as “The Igloo” when it was hosting Penguins games every winter from 1967-2010. Fans pack CONSOL nightly to catch a glimpse of Crosby and the rest of the star-studded Penguins lineup, including players like Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Kris Letang.

The Penguins have their eye on another division title in 2013-14, although winning the division would add a new piece of hardware to the team’s already-overflowing trophy case. The Pens are now a part of the brand new Metropolitan Division, comprised mostly of former Atlantic Division holdovers, with the addition of newcomers Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals.

Despite the (relatively) new competition in the division, the Penguins will likely be the class of the NHL’s Eastern Conference. Which is exactly what their fans have come to expect.

Pittsburgh Penguins tickets are always a hot item in the hockey-crazed Steel City, and that's as true as ever in 2013 as the Pittsburgh Penguins skate toward an Atlantic Division title in search of their fourth Stanley Cup title.

Crowds are flocking to Consol Energy Center as the Pittsburgh Penguins aim for their seventh consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and gear up for a run at their second Stanley Cup title in the past five seasons.

Pittsburgh Penguins tickets are your chance to see stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as they try to etch their names in franchise history alongside legends like Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are known for putting a quality product on the ice, and this season is no different. "Sid The Kid" Crosby and Evgeni Malkin form one of the top scoring duos in the National Hockey League and team up to make the Pittsburgh Penguins one of the league's most exciting offensive teams.

Not to be outdone, the Pittsburgh Penguins' defensive players have been outstanding as well. Marc-Andre Fleury has emerged as one of the National Hockey League's top goaltenders and Kris Letang is among the league's best defensemen.

Buy your Pittsburgh Penguins tickets online and come see this exciting team take on the National Hockey League's best, including home games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, as well as Atlantic Division rivals like the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, the New Jersey Devils and the hated Philadelphia Flyers.

The races for the Atlantic Division title and the top seeds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs are starting to heat up, and you will want to be cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins from great seats at the luxurious Consol Energy Center as they try to secure their spot in the best postseason in professional sports.

The battle for the Atlantic Division crown looks like it will go right down to the wire, so hurry up and get your Pittsburgh Penguins tickets now!

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Pittsburgh Penguins ticket info

The future of the Pittsburgh Penguins is unknown right now. The team needs a new arena, and may move if one isn't built. Don't miss out on what might be your last chance to get Pittsburgh Penguins tickets to the Consol Energy center formerly Mellon Arena this season. The Penguins weren't very good last year, but they did win the draft lottery and the rights to future superstar center Sidney Crosby. This young team has so much potential that it would be a shame if fans in the city of Pittsburgh don't get to see their beloved hockey team develop. Show your support and keep the team in town with Pittsburgh Penguins tickets! You'll be glad you did.

The Star The biggest, brightest spot on the Penguins this year is Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin. Finally released from the Russian Hockey Federation, Malkin joins the team for the first time this season, and is ready to make a huge impact. Pittsburgh Penguins ticket holders are already comparing him to former Penguin legend Mario Lemieux, and with good reason: this kid is the best hockey player in the world, who isn't playing in the NHL. And, he's just one of Pittsburgh's young superstars-to-be.

The Coach Head coach Michel Therrien is known for being a bit of a thug behind the bench. That may be just what this young team needs to get whipped into shape. And it's certainly a lot of fun to watch! Pittsburgh Penguins ticket holders never know what this former Habs coach is going to do during a game. One thing's for sure, he lets his players know when they aren't playing up to their full potential.

The Team The Penguins are a young team, but they have tons of potential. With Pittsburgh Penguins tickets you'll get raw talent on the ice, and some exciting games along the way as the youngsters learn the ropes in the new NHL. Penguins fans know that they just may be good enough to reach the playoffs, if they can develop their goaltending. With Malkin and Crosby leading the way on offense, some pressure should be lifted off the inexperienced defense, which will help them gel all the faster. By the end of the season, the Penguins will be the next great team in the NHL!